scubanurse

But think about the physics of it... you're higher up than the bumper of the other car...it hits you on the side... you're going to flip. Also you seem to be focusing on others hitting you... you have just the same chance of hitting a semi-truck as a dodge neon hitting you.

Not so much advertising but a banner on the home screen maybe?

I think maybe with some help in advertising from Admin we can boost chat participation during certain times? I know I'm usually only on and looking for people to talk to at night for me (7-10MST)

Welcome!! Jump right in and start asking questions, there are loads of knowledgable people and if you can look past their sometimes abrasive approach, they can--and will--teach you a lot. Good luck!

well that changes things... haven't seen one like that before...

All the pictures I have seen/been shown are of the drivers side.... the curbside door would be located on the passenger side of the ambulance.

I'm still not sure what you're asking here... we have given you information on what we think it is... It's a fairly common box if that's what you're asking...

Northside of town being what area? DC is small but there is just enough differences. You'll probably be close enough to Montgomery County to volunteer there, or to Alexandria or Fairfax to volunteer there too. If you're looking career, you are going to find it a little more difficult due to budget cuts and hiring freezes. Below are some links to the various volunteer associations in the area. I know DC used to have an EMS corps for special events but not sure if they still do much and what the training is like. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/firtmpl.asp?url=/content/firerescue/dovs/index.asp http://www.fairfaxvfd.com/ http://alexandriava.gov/fire/ I would start there.... also here is the link to the montgomery college EMT program (edit: looks like the MC program is on hold...I know they were having issues with the county in space/competition etc but keep checking) ...know their instructors well and they are good teachers. GW is also a great program to get into, but not sure if you have to be a student of GW to take it.... Their lead is a fantastic instructor who will go to all ends to teach his students what they need to know. http://www.mcemergencyservices.com/index.php/emt-basic http://gwemerg.com/

Location is going to dictate most of what you're looking for. I know on the Maryland side, Montgomery College in Rockville, MD has a solid EMT-B program. But Mike is right, most of the volunteer houses will pay for your training. PM me if you have any questions, I ran with Montgomery County for close to 5 years and have some good contacts in the area if you're looking to join with a department. Good luck, and enjoy D.C. it's not all bad

That link is broken btw... buy yeah those are still pretty common ambulances

That's so cool!! I agree with Happiness, you pick the people and make their day bright

I suggest looking at consumer reports for this question....I doubt anyone here will give you more information other than personal anecdote. I've seen F-350's with duelies flip multiple times fyi. Good luck in your car search, but this isn't the best place to gather safety information.

Can you provide a link? After a quick google search...they look like they could be freightliners or internationals...I'm horrible at telling the difference. I know where I worked we had curbside doors with a retractable step and we ran with both of the above. K

thank you. I think any parent struggles for quite some time when their child receives a life changing diagnosis. I remember my mom the weeks after I was diagnosed with EDS she just didn't understand and kept blaming herself. It takes time to adjust. And while EDS is very very different from autism, no parent likes to hear that their child will always be different. Keep up your good work and thank you for sharing your experience.

great blog... mind if I pass it along to a family I know who just received the diagnosis?

I know of a dog who wears a special collar that when his owner is having a seizure, the dog jumps up and swipes the collar over a receiver and it helps to stop the seizure. Not sure specifically how it works. There have been studies that dogs can predict seizures before medical personnel and help their handler sit down to avoid injury. Those are some of the ideas I have that a dog would provide help that we as medical providers might not be able to. Not disagreeing but trying to present a scenario in which a service dog can provide a skill we can not.

awesome!

I think you are asking good questions here, and I applaud you for wanting to know more. What I am going to do is encourage you to do some digging on your own. Think through the processes that occur. Think about some common sense here, if you were wearing a vest with electrical capabilities, would you go swimming with it? I highly doubt it. While I have been out of EMS for a few years now, I have never come across one of these devices, but I believe the technology is there. Talk to ER docs when you are on clinical rotations, do a google search and try and learn more. On the note of grammar and spelling. I didn't want to say anything because I am lazy and don't typically pick out issues but I have seen numerous posts by you that are very difficult to comprehend because of your grammar and spelling. Part of EMS is documentation, legal documentation. Every patient record can be called up in a court case, where educated lawyers, judges, and court officials will be reading them. If you can not spell scene correctly, as I noted you spelled it seen in your original post, then these people are going to have a difficult time understanding you. I understand 100% learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Typing this post out, my thumb has dislocated twice due to my genetic condition, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. That has not affected my ability to hit delete a few times and re-type out the words that I slipped up on. Learning disabilities, I had the 504 plans the IEP's, all the alphabet soup testing, and it came out I had learning disabilities, slower than average comprehension, and difficulty with short-term memory. I believe you are getting very defensive as a coping mechanism for your struggles. Pretty common in my experience, but not necessary. When someone comments on your spelling, I suggest you learn from it, and in the future you attempt to not make the same mistakes again. People here want nothing more than to see you succeed in EMS and sometimes that comes off the wrong way. Try to brush it off, and learn from the people here. Again, I applaud you for taking the initiative in your own learning process and asking these questions. Just understand where we are coming from when we see incomprehensible grammar. It will get you in trouble in the future with your documentation. Best of luck to you, Kate

Those are really funny

Welcome Back!